In 3Q 2021 62.9 m tonnes of goods were transported, while the transport performance amounted to 14.5 bn tonne-km. When we look at these two parameters, the past quarter was the best since 4Q 2018, i.e. for almost 3 years. When compared with 3Q 2020, there is a visible increase in weight by over 5.9 m tonnes (10.4%) and in transport performance by nearly 1.1 bn tonne-km (8.1%).
In 3Q 2021 the main commodity groups in rail freight in terms of weight and transport performance were:
- coal, lignite, crude oil and natural gas: its share in 3Q in the transported weight amounted to 35.4%, which is the lowest quarterly result since the beginning of the publication of data on the transport of commodity groups. Despite this, the weight in this group amounted to 22.2 m tonnes and was higher by 0.9 m tonnes than in 2Q 2021 and nearly 1.7 m tonnes higher than in 3Q 2020. In the transport performance the share of this group was 21.5% and 3.1 bn tonne-km. Data on international rail freight show that 78% of the weight transported in this group was in domestic transport. The share of the transport performance in domestic transport amounted to 66%.
- metal ores and other mining and quarrying products: the share of this commodity group in 3Q in the weight transported is 26.3% (16.5 m tonnes). When compared to 2Q 2021, it is an increase by 1.1 m tonnes. The transport performance was 4.1 bn tonne-km. In 3Q 77.8% of this group were aggregate, sand, gravel, clay - the weight of goods classified into this subgroup increased by nearly 700 thous. tonnes when compared to 2Q 2021, which shows a high demand for these raw materials. The shares in domestic transport of this group were 95% in the weight and 94% in the transport performance.
- coke, briquettes, refined petroleum products and industrial gases: in 3Q this commodity group accounted for 12.1% in the weight transported and 18.4% of the transport performance. When compared to 2Q 2021, the weight of goods increased by over 450 thous. tonnes (6.3%) and the transport performance by nearly 170 m tonne-km (6.8%). Within this group the weight of refined petroleum products rose by 10.7% compared to the previous quarter.
- the fourth largest commodity group were non-identifiable goods: its share in the weight transported was 9.2% and 12.9% in the transport performance. Despite the fact that the share of non-identifiable goods in terms of weight decreased by 0.4% in relation to 2Q, it was slightly higher in transport performance. The total weight of 5.8 m tonnes and the transport performance of nearly 1.9 bn tonne-km are the highest quarterly results since 2016. Only 18% of the weight and 20% of the transport performance of this group was carried in domestic transport. International rail freight is crucial for this commodity group.
Large investments in road and rail infrastructure ensure that the demand for transport of commodity groups like aggregate, sand, gravel and clay rail transport services is stable. This contributes directly to good results in rail freight in 3Q 2021. There is also an increase in the third largest group of goods, which are briquettes, coke, refined petroleum products and gases. The rise in demand was recorded by rail carriers which provide transport services for companies processing crude oil - producing fuels, gasoline, diesel oil or heating oils - comments Ignacy Góra, President of the Office of Rail Transport.
Detailed data can be found on our statistics website Dane Kolejowe (Railway Data) in the Commodity groups section.